Missouri State House Passes Bill Requiring Driving Tests in English

Missouri State House Passes Bill Requiring Driving Tests in English

February 21, 2012

Washington, DC—U.S. English Chairman Mauro E. Mujica today commended the Missouri State House of Representatives on its passage of a bill that will require Missouri driver's license examinations to be given only in English.

“The state of Missouri currently offers driver’s tests in eleven languages,” Chairman Mujica said. “The translations provided by the current law are not only a waste of taxpayer dollars, but they also send a message that Missouri is an English-optional state. English is the language of success in America, and government at every level should be promoting a message of assimilation to help put immigrants on the path to success.”

House Bill 1186, introduced by Rep. Chuck Gatschenberger and Rep. Mark Parkinson, now awaits further consideration by the Missouri State Senate.

“Four years ago, U.S. English helped encourage passage of an amendment to the Missouri State Constitution to make English the official language of state proceedings,” Chairman Mujica continued. “We have yet to hear of an instance in which the state of Missouri has lost business because of this amendment. Likewise, House Bill 1186 will not serve as a detriment to commerce in Missouri. If anything, it will further encourage immigrants to learn English, allowing them to gain better, higher paying jobs. I am pleased to see the Missouri State House support English driver’s tests by such a large margin, and I hope to see similar action in the State Senate in the near future.”

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U.S. English, Inc. is the nation's oldest and largest non-partisan citizens' action group dedicated to preserving the unifying role of the English language in the United States. Founded in 1983 by the late Sen. S.I. Hayakawa of California, U.S. English, Inc. (www.usenglish.org) now has more than 2 million members.